Coffee can opener



Feb. 9, 1960 A. E. SCHADE 2,924,353

COFFEE cm OPENER Filed Feb. 14, 1958 V /4- V 3 FIG.

United States Patent COFFEE CAN OPENER Arthur E. Schade, Klickitat, Wash., assignor of one-tenth to Gadget-Of-The-Month Club, Inc., North Hollywood, Calif., a corporation of California Application February 14, 1958, Serial No. 715,461

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-52) This invention relates to kitchen appliances and more particularly to a can opener.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a can opener for removing the clo'sure strips from hermetically sealed cannisters, such as the type used for coffee and shortening, that will neatly and safely guide the metallic strip so removed for convenient disposal thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a can opener of the above type that is completely adjustable for removing closure strips from cans of different sizes in a simple and eflicient manner.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a can opener bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accomw panying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a can opener made in accordance with the present invention in operative use;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the can opener shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the can opener shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged top elevational view of a can guide plate forming a part of the present invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a can opener It made in accordance with the presentinvention is shown to include a frame that is defined by an upper plate 12, an intermediate plate 17, and connecting riser elements 30, 31. An operating shaft 13 having a handle 14 integral with one end extends through an opening in the upper plate 12 and through the intermediate plate 17.

The opposite end of this shaft 13 is provided with a longitudinal slot 16 for attaching the free end of a closure strip thereto. This end of the shaft 13 is also slidably supported upon the upper surface of an inclined closure strip winding guide plate 23 and is yieldably maintained in sliding engagement therewith by means of a spring 21 that acts between the lower surface of the upper plate 12 and the top surface of a stop 20 secured to the intermediate portion of the shaft 13.

A can size guide plate 25 having a central opening 26 is provided with communicating slots 28 that slidably receive the risers 30, 31 of the main frame, whereby the frame and plate 25 are adjustably secured together. This plate 25 is also provided with a forwardly extending lip 33 that is adapted to slidably engage with the upper sur face of the top 38 of the can, for purposes hereinafter described. The opposite end of the plate 25 is provided with a pintle 34 that pivotally supports an angle shaped.

friction wedge lock plate 36 that is movable into frictional engagement with the adjacent riser 31 of the frame, whereby the frame and plate may be selectively locked together in an adjusted position.

. front end of the frame.

In actual use, the lip 33 is placed upon the upper surface of the top 38 of the can, with the wedge lock 36 in an open position. The po'sition of the frame is then adjusted with respect to the plate 25 so as to place the slotted end of the shaft 13 in direct proximity with the free end of the closure strip 40, the wedge lock 36 is then moved to the closed position to prevent further relative movement between the frame and plate. By then threading the end of the closure strip into the slot 16 of the shaft, rotation of the handle 14 will cause the closure strip 40 to be Wound upon the lower end of the shaft. As the closure strip is wound upon the shaft, the device will move around the periphery of the can and the lower end of the shaft will move transversely of the frame from the front riser 30 toward the rear riser 31 in order to accommodate the added convolutions of the closure strip wound thereon. As the space between the inclined plate 23 and the intermediate plate 17 tapers toward the rear of the frame, the convolutions of the closure strips supported upon the lower end of the shaft 13 are kept uniform and prevented from unwinding or slipping apart. After the closure strip has been completely removed, the convoluted closure strip may be released from engagement with the can opener by merely pulling upwardly upon the handle 14, to dislodge the slotted end of the shaft from the convoluted closure strip and out of the space between the inclined plate 23 and intermediate plate 17, whereby the winding may be removed transversely outwardly through the During the release of the convoluted strip, the handle 14 withdraws the shaft 13 against the action of the spring 21 which returns it to the normal operative position upon release of such withdrawing force upon the handle.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

radially of the can being opened for radially accommodating the clo'sure strip wound upon said shaft in response to rotation of said handle, a can size guide for controlling vertical movement of said frame transversely of the flexible closure strip and comprising a horizontal plate having a vertical central aperture for vertically slidably receiving said frame for selective vertical movement, said plate having a substantially horizontally projecting lip for supported engagement with the top of the can being opened to support said longi-' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,708,530 Patterson May 17, 1955 2,732,093 Chincholl Jan. 24, 1956 2,800,246 Koregelos et a1 July 23, 1957 

